The Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) has announced a new version of Qi specification that would deliver 15 watts of power to mobile phones that support wireless fast charging. This would decrease the charging time and bring fast charging capabilities present in devices that offer wired fast charging, to Qi-compatible wireless charging products, said WPC.
WPC also said that it has approved the test procedures and tools needed to verify that fast charging products are compliant with the new Qi specification and it is also backward compatible with all existing Qi products. The new specification will be available for members of the Wireless Power Consortium starting today and will be made public later.
Qi version 1.2 that was announced last year added support for resonant charging that allows phone to be charged when near a Qi pad rather than directly on top of it. Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP) and the Power Matters Alliance (PMA) recently announced that they are merging to offer a single multi-mode solution.
Commenting on the announcement, Menno Treffers, chairman of WPC, said:
With a deployed base of well over 50 million units, hundreds of registered products and users all around the world, we understand the importance of a specification that supports innovation. This release marks an important milestone for Qi, introducing the first higher power class and paving the way for our members to address more demanding applications with products that work seamlessly with the installed base of Qi-compatible products.